Iran joined Turkey in carrying out airstrikes against Iraqi territories in the northern Kurdistan Region.
Turkish fighter jets struck on Sunday night Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) positions in northern Iraq, destroying “terrorist” hideouts. It carried out 81 attacks against PKK targets in the Sinjar region and nearby areas as part of Operation Claw-Eagle.
Ankara carried out even more attacks on Wednesday. Its Defense Ministry announced that warplanes struck Kurdish militant targets in northern Iraq’s Haftanin region.
“In order to neutralize the PKK and other terrorist elements threatening our people and our borders, our Air Force, along with fire-support equipment, helicopters and our commandos, supported by armed and unarmed drones, have mobilized to the region with air operations,” the ministry said in a tweet.
Turkey regularly targets PKK militants, both in its mainly Kurdish southeast and in northern Iraq, where the group is based. The two latest airstrikes come amid what Ankara alleges is an increase in militant attacks on Turkish army bases.
Kurdish sources revealed that Turkey has even cooperated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps in striking the region. The Rudaw news agency reported that strikes targeted the heights of Baraskan in the village of Alana. No human losses were reported.
Security sources said Iranian forces shelled border regions, wounding several farmers.
Tehran has justified its attacks against Kurdish regions in Iraq saying it is targeting the Iranian Kurdish opposition that operates within Iraqi territories.
The joint operations command in Iraq slammed Turkey’s violations earlier this week, saying such acts are a flagrant violation of Iraqi sovereignty, good neighborliness and international agreements.
It called on Ankara against launching such attacks again and committing any other violations, saying it must respect the common interests of both countries.
Iraq said it was prepared to cooperate with Turkey over securing their joint borders.
Leading member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan Rashad Galali described as “shameful” Turkey’s repeated attacks on Iraqi territory that have been met with no deterrent response from the federal government.
